“The Big Frame organization has experience in a lot of areas and can help us increase ad revenue for our videos and make sure we are better positioned to get the right kinds of business opportunities. They can help further the DudePerfect brand.”

Big Frame also oversees marketing and production for Bammo and Penna approves the new videos and makes sure they are both brand-friendly and of adequate quality. That differs from a company like Maker studios, which is more like a full-fledged studio.

In talking with Penna in Big Frame’s West Hollywood office, it’s quite clear she saw where the world was going before it went there. Just one thing: It took her a few years to realize how ahead of everyone she was.

“It’s a new space and a new way of getting a message out there for a brand. There are ways of doing that that are very effective.”

She worked at Current TV in its pre-Al Gore infancy, when it was still dedicated to user-generated content. That was a great idea until YouTube made Current and all broadcast attempts at user-generated content irrelevant.

Still, while at Current she made a series of documentaries, giving her experience on the production side. She also was responsible for scouring for talent, hooking her up with a network of eager and skilled content producers.

“In doing that I uncovered this whole world that was emerging, but I didn’t think much of it,” she said. “I was interested and started watching [YouTube personalities] Stevie Ryan and Phillip DeFranco. I was really impressed with this stuff being made, but in my mind distribution had to be on TV. I still had that mentality of, ‘How can we bring it to TV?’

“Then I realized they have better distribution and are getting millions of views.”

Still, after Current, Penna only went halfway, working at a company that created narrative web series. It wasn't a success, but in the process she continued to notice YouTube talent and suggested they use them in the shows.

Eventually DeFranco hired her and she “de facto became his manager.”

Through that work, she connected with brands who wanted her to pitch them more stars, while the “YouTubers” wanted her to hook them up with brands.

So how did that turn into Big Frame?

“I saw something special and wanted to make sure brands came into the space and that brand integrations were done properly,” Penna said. “It’s a new space and a new way of getting a message out there for a brand. There are ways of doing that that are very effective.”

So she decided to start a company that manages YouTube talent, called it Cloud Media, and gave herself six months to see if she could make it work.

“People said, ‘What? How do you make money on YouTube? How do you make money from the people who make money on YouTube?’”

What these people didn't know about was branding, and the commission a management company could take for its services.